Article forming apparatus



1950 E. A. KRUSE 2,518,029

ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

1950 E. A. KRUSE 2,518,029

ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1943 5 Sheet-sSheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

EA/(RUSE 7 By 14 AM 4 LA rrow/1 A118. 1950 E. A. KRUSE A 2,518,029

ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

v AKRU$ I5 64 BY 4 4? ,6.

ATTOR/Vf) g STAT Patented Aug. 8, 1950 ARTICLE FQRMING Eugene A. .Kruse, Downers Grove, 111., assignor to -Western Electric Company, -.Incorporate d, New York, N. -Y.,.acorporation of NewYork ApplicationDecember-20, 1943, serial No. 515,031

This invent-ion relates -to article forming apparatus-and more particularly to apparatus for iorminga head-on a fine wire to adapt it for attachment to a piezoelectric crystal. i

-Inthe manufactureof piezoelectric crystals for use as frequency control devices in the electrical communication apparatus, thewires which also serve as a support for the crystals are attached to a flat surface-of the crystal, usually adjacent the center of the surface from which the lead wires extend at right angles. In order to facilitate the attachment of the lead wires to the crystal and-to make it less probable that the lead wires will be loosened from the crystals, afiattened enlargeme'ntor head may be formed on the lead wire. Due to the thinness of the wire, considerable difiiculties have been encountered in forming a head onit.

- It is an object-of the present invention to provide a simple andeffective device for forming headed articles.

In accordance with one embodiment-ofthe invention,there is-p'rovided a feed mechanism for feeding a wire into position between a pair of clamping jawsand against a movable abutment which determines theamount of wire extending beyondthe clamping jaws. -The movable'abutment is-mounted upon a'die supporting member havingdies'thereon .adapted to engage and form the portion of the wire extending beyond the clamping. jaws in cooperation with forming .surfaces cut into the clamping jaws. The two clamping jaws,.which' also serve .as a ,die, are movable eccentrically of the wire to cooperate with shearing jaws for shearing the headedsection of wire from the body of the wire. Thus the chief function of thelclamping jaws is to serve t clai s. new

as a shearing and iorming die for shearingfand forming the wire.

A-complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away to showieatures of construction .of the means for supporting the. dies .and of the clamping and wire-feeding connecting mechanisms;

Fig.2 is a view taken substantially :along the line 2--2 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows, part being shown in section and part in front elevation Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary horizontal sectional viewstaken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the 1ine'3 3, 44, 5-5 and' 68,. respectively, as-indicated in Figs. 1 an'd2;

Figs. '7, i8, .9 and 10 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken :through the various forming diesIand the movable .abutment..-Fig. 7 show-- faces of the 's'ide wallsiii and-M (Fig. 6).

ing. the wire extending a predetermined distance beyond the clampingjaws and engaging the movable :abutment,bFi-g. 8 showing the clamping jaws moved to the position where they have "cut off a length of wire from the main body thereof and also showing the first of the forming dies which operat e on the end of the wire in the steps of forming the head thereon, Fig. 9 showing the second forming die, and Fig. 10 showing the final rmi s i In thedrawing as shown, particularly in Fig. l, awire lt which may be drawn fromany suitable supply thereof, is fed through a guide tube It, suitably mounted on a base member H. The guide'tube it serves to direct the wire [5 from the substantially horizontal plane into a substantially" vertical plane and, the tube is fixed on the base member ll by means of a suitable support blockiifil Positioned directly above the upper vertitaliylextending portionof the guide tube It isa giiide sileeve 19 mounted in a feed sleeve 2B. The feed sleeve 2E isfreely slidable within a tubular bushihg2lwhih is threaded on its outer surface Qriadiu posit oning it in a block 22, in turn su' ended from the underside of a main'cross platef23gforexample, by means of screws 24-24. block 22 has a guide pin 25 threaded intoit which extends-through and bears in an aperture 26 ofa ree-d lever'zl. The feed lever Z'l'is suitably fixed to the feed sleeve '20 and has suspended irlornits'lower side a braketZBjon which a wire clamping lever 23 is; pivoted by means of a pivot pin 30. The upper end of the tubular bushing 2| serves as a shoulder against which a cooperating shoulder "31 formed on the upper end of the feed sleeve 20 "will normally rest.

' "The lower end of the guide sleeve 19 and feed sleeve 20 are cut away adjacent their lower ends to provide a shoulder 32, against which the wire is maybe pinched'or pressed when the lever 29 1s}rocked c1ockwise about the pivot pin 30. Thus, the wire 'l5'm'a y be gripped "between the right han'd'end of the lever 29 and the shoulder 32 and "The main cross plate 28 is mounted in spaced relation'with respect to the'base member-ll by means ofa pairof cross plate supporting walls ll? and M on which the plate 23 may be adjustably fii ed by Set screws 52, 43QM and 55, which may be adjusted to bear against the outer-surcoopcrating with the set screws 4 2't0 45 are a pair of s'e't' s'cr'ews 4'6" ahd 47, which cooperate with a locating screw '48 to adjust the main cros's'zplate 23"toivard the front or rear of the mechanism. The set screws 46 and 4.7 bear against the front edge'sofithe walls 540 and 35 and the aid-justingscrew 48 is threaded in a T-head nut 49 set into a T-slot 50 in the plate 23. The adjusting screw 43 is freely rotatable in an aperture 5I formed in a main standard 52, which is suitably attached to side walls and M and the head of the adjusting screw 48 bears against a shoulder 53 formed in the aperture 5|. v lating the said screws 46 and 41 and the adjusting screw 48, the plate 23 may be adjusted toward the rear or front of the apparatus and after being properly located, the adjustment screw 48 may be locked in the desired position by means of a set screw 54 (Fig. 6). Each of the set screws 42, 43, 44, 45, 45 and 47 is provided with lock nuts 55, whereby, after the set screws have been properly adjusted to position the plate 23 in the desired location, the set screws may be locked against accidental displacement of the plate.

Formed in the plate 23 is a shouldered aperture 80, which is adapted to receive a tubular bushing EL'WhlCh is provided with an annular shoulder 62 adapted to engage the shoulder in the aperture 60 to be supported thereby. The bushing BI, in turn,- has a shouldered aperture formed in it in which there are positioned a pair of semi-cylindrical guiding members 53 and 64. These guiding members 53 and 6d are provided with shoulders which cooperate with the shoulders in the bushing (ii. The semi-cylindrical guiding member I55 has an aperture 55 formed in it (Fig. 2) for receiving a gripping member 66, which is urged toward the guiding member 63 by a pin 61 positioned in a bearing aperture 58 formed in the plate 23. The pin 51 is freely slidable in the aperture 53 and has a head portion 69 having springs H3 and 'EI disposed on opposite sides of it, the spring in encircling the shank of the pin and being effective to urge the pin to the right (Fig. 2). The two springs I8 and II are positioned in an enlarged portion of the aperture 68 and the spring II may be forced to the left by a camactuated plunger I2 under the action of a cam '13 (Figs. 2 and 6).

A pivot stud f5 (Figs. 1 and 6) is threaded into the main cross plate 23 and serves as a pivot about which a pair of cooperating clamping members I6 and H may be rocked. The clamping member "I5 is slightly longer than the clamping member I? and has a projection 18 formed thereon which extends over the forward end of the clamping member TI and carries its right end surface normally in substantial alignment with the right hand surface (Fig. 6) of the clamping member TI. A compression spring I9 seated in sockets 80 and 8I formed in the clamping members I6 and H, respectively, normally urge the forwardly extending ends of the clamping members apart to permit the end of the wire I5 to be fed into position between the two clamping members. The pivot stud I5 holds the clamping members 15 and TI in a position where substantially semi-circular depressions 82 and 83, respectively (Figs. 7 and 8), formed therein may clamp a wire which has been fed upwardly between the guiding members 53 and 64 when the clamping members I5 and H are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 7. The wire I5 will be clamped by the clamping members I6 and I1 and will be held by them when the forward ends of the clamping members are forced together against the action of the spring '59 and if the wire is fed upwardly between the clamping members, it will be held in the depressions 82 and 83, which taper outwardly, as shown at 84 and 85, to form a die By properly manipuinto which the end of the wire I5 will be pressed, as will be explained hereinafter.

The forward ends of the clamping member 16 and I? extend between a pair of upwardly extending blocks 86 and 81, which extend upwardly from the main cross plate 23. Threaded into the block 86 is an adjustable abutment screw 88, which serves as a fixed abutment against which the clamping member I6 will be stopped when it is moved clockwise about pivot stud I5. The adjustable abutment screw 88 may be locked in place by means of a lock nut 89 after it has been set in its proper position. Also seated in the block 86 is a plunger 90, normally urged to the right (Fig. 6) by a compression spring 9| entering; a cylindrical pocket 92 formed in the plunger and abutting the end of a socket 93, which is formed in the block 86 and is adapted to receive and slidably position the plunger 90. The block 8! has a pair of abutment screws 94 and'55 threaded into it and locked in position by lock nuts 95 and 91. These abutment screws 94 and 95 are adapted to prevent counter-clockwise movement of the clamping members I! and I6 (Fig. 6) beyond a predetermined position to which the clamping members will be urged by the combined action of the springs 9| and I9. the spring 9! urging the clamping member 16 to rock counter-clockwise to carry its projection I8 into engagement with the abutment screw 95 and the spring 15 urging the clamping member 11 into engagement with the abutment screw 94. Slidably positioned in the block 8'! is an actuating pin 98 adapted to engage the clamping member I? and move it clockwise (Fig. 6) when the actuating pin 98 is forced to the left (Fig. 6) by a cam member 99 formed integrally with the cam I3. The cam member 99 and cam I3 are provided with a handle I00, whereby they may be actuated and the cam member 99 and cam I3 are pivoted for rotation about a pivot screw IBI threaded into the main cross plate 23. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the clamping membersflfi and I1 function primarily as a shearing and forming die.

The standard 52 is provided with a forwardly extending portion I II), in which there is rotatable a bearing sleeve I I I provided with a lower shouldered portion H2 and threaded at its upper end to receive a retainer ring H3, which cooperates with the shoulder H2 to hold the sleeve III in the forwardly extending portion I II] of the standard 52. The shouldered portion I I2, as seen most clearly in Fig. 4, is provided with a series of sockets H4, H5, H6 and H1 adapted to receive a spring-pressed plunger H8 slidable in an aperture I I9 formed in the standard 52. The plunger I I8 has a reduced portion I20, which is encircled by a compression spring I2l positioned between the larger portion of the plunger H8 and a plug I22 threaded into the rear end of the aperture H9. Thus the plunger H8 is normally urged toward th front of the apparatus and into one of the sockets H4, H5, H6 or H1. The plunger H8 is bifurcated at its rear end to receive an operating lever I23, which is provided With a slot I24 for receiving a pin I25. The end of the lever I23 is pivoted at I26 on a bracket I21 suitably attached to the standard 52, for example, by means of machine screws I28I28. By means of the just described mechanism, the plunger H8 may be retracted to permit the partial rotation of the sleeve II I, as will be described hereinafter, whereby the plunger H8 may be entered in any one of the sockets H4 to H1, inclusive. Extend,-v

and the upperv surface of the semi-cylindrical guiding member 63. When the cam member 99 is thus actuated, the length of wire will be sheared off from the supply and will be transferred over to position above the guiding member 63 while the wire is still clamped between the clamping members 16 and H. With the sheared-off length of wire thus positioned, the crank handle 115 may be rotated to actuate the lever I61, which will driverjthe die 52 downward sharply to form the end of the wire, as shown in Fig. 8. After the die I52 has thus operated on the end of the shearedoff length of wire, die members I53 and IE4 may be brought into association with the sheared-off length of wire to perform their forming operations on the end of the Wire. It should be noted that the die member I54 has a flat forming surface I33 on it so that in the final forming step, a fiatv head will be formed on the wire [5, thus to facilitate itsattaehment as a support and a conductive lead for the crystal.

' What is claimed is:

1. .An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide adapted to form one element of a shear, a shearing and forming die including two complementary parts, a common pivotal mounting for said parts, means for normally positioning said die in alignment with said guide, means for slightly separating said parts in said normal position, means for moving said die about its pivot to shear the material, clamp it, and transfer it to a forming position, and means for forming the material in said latter position.

2. An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide adapted to form one element of a shear, a shearing and forming die including two complementary parts, a common pivotal mounting for said parts,

a spring-pressed plunger and an adjustable stop cooperating to normally position said die in alignment with said guide, a compression spring for slightly separating said parts in their normal position, means for feeding a length of material between said parts, means for gaging the length of material, acam actuated plunger for closing said die parts and simultaneously moving said die about its pivot to shear the material and transfer it to a forming position, and cam operated reciprocable means for forming the material while being held in said latter position by said die.

3. An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide adapted to form one element of a shear, a shearing and forming die including two complementary parts, a common pivotal mounting for said parts, a spring-pressed plunger and an adjustable stop cooperating to normally position said die in alignment with said guide, a compression spring for slightly separating said parts in their normal position, means for feeding a length of material between said parts, means for gaging the length of material, a cam actuated plunger for closing said die parts and simultaneously moving said die about its pivot to shear the material and transfer it toa forming position, a rotatable block carrying;,said gaging and forming means, and means for moving said block to carry the gaging and forming means in an arcuate path into direct alignment with the material to be formed.

4. An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide including complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving the material, a

shearing and forming die comprising two complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving material fed through said guide, a pivotal mounting for said die, means for normally positioning said die in alignment with said guide, and means for causing said guide to grip the material and moving said die to shear the material.

5. An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide including complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving the material, a shearing. and forming die comprising two complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving material fed through said guide, a pivotal mounting for said die, a spring-pressed plunger an'd'an adjustable stop cooperating to normally position said die in alignment with said guide, a compression spring for slightly separating said parts in their normal position, means for feeding a'length of material through said guide into position between said die parts, means for gaging the length of material, means for simult'aheously causing said guide to grip the material and "moving said die to shear the material and transfer'itto a forming position, and cam operated reciprocable means for forming the material while being held in said latter position by said die,

6; An apparatus for forming articles from elongated material comprising a material guide including complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving the material, a shearing and forming die comprising two complementary parts having grooves facing each other for receiving material fed through said guide, a pivotal mounting for said die, a spring-pressed plunger and an adjustable stop cooperating to normally position said die in alignment with said guide, a compression spring for slightly separating said parts in their normal position, means for feeding a length of material through said guide into position between said die parts, means for gagingthelength of material, means for simultaneously causing said guide to grip the material and moving said die to shear the material and transfer it to a forming position, a rotatable block carrying said gaging and forming means, means for moving saidblock to carry said gaging and forming means in an arcuate path into direct alignment with the 'material to be formed, and means 'for locking said block against rotation.

1 EUGENE A. KRUSE.

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